My Home Ideas

Special Offers

Be the first to know about This Old House contests, sweepstakes, and events and receive special offers and promotions from your favorite home improvement brands. We'll even send you regular reminders to enter our sweepstakes.

Contribute to This Story Below

More in Landscaping

3. Don't Be Afraid of Patina

Just as they remade their 1950s ranch house in the style of a Tuscan farmhouse, the couple wanted a landscape with patina. They started by adhering to a simple, mostly green palette of plants starring pepper, cypress, and Chinese elm trees amid rosemary, acanthus, Virginia creeper, and white 'Iceberg' roses. "Garden decor can get lost in a highly colorful landscape," says Susie. "For us, our mostly stone ornaments are the busy part, and they pop against the green background." Certain items, picked up on their travels, may be pedigreed and pricey, but they share ground with catalog and nursery finds, so nothing seems too precious. Read on to learn how they used decorative objects to create seductive outdoor living spots.

Shown: A lantern sits on a stone shelf, with a mirror providing a window onto the green world.